Soft hose clamp

ABSTRACT

A soft hose clamp for holding a hose discharging fire fighting liquid from a tanker truck into a collapsible stop-and-go tank. In the embodiment of the invention described below, the device is provided with a first adjustable clamping member for affixing the hose clamp to any vertical brace or strut supporting the tank and a second hinged, spring-loaded clamping member for receiving the supply line and holding it securely while the fire fighting liquid is discharged into the tank. The hose can be mounted in place quickly and with one hand and the novel clamp described herein holds the hose firmly in place while water is being transferred from a tanker to a stop-and-go or other similar tank.

iii States Paten [72] inventor Kenneth 1K. Clegg, Jr.

Route 1, Box 80, High Point, NC. 27260 [21] Appl. No. 2,633

[22} Filed Jan. 13, 1970 [45} Patented Sept. 7, 19711 (54] SOFT HOSE CLAMP 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. C1 248/79, 248/221, 248/229 [51 llnt. C1 ..B05b 15/06:, A62c 27/06 [50] Field of Search 248/75, 76, 17,79, 82, 84, 221, 88, 229, 210; 210/449, 482; 182/51, 52

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,219,968 3/1917 Lorch 248/77 1,577,607 3/1926 Blaw 182/51 1,583,772 5/1926 Blaw 248/77 1,719,863 7/1929 Wirz 248/221 3,129,970 4/1964 St. John 248/88 X Primary Examiner-Chancellor E. Harris Attorney-Cushman, Darby & Cushman TRACT: A soft hose clamp for holding a hose discharging fire fighting liquid from a tanker truck into a collapsible stop and-go tank. in the embodiment of the invention described below, the device is provided with a first adjustable clamping member for afiixing the hose clamp to any vertical brace or strut supporting the tank and a second hinged, spring-loaded clamping member for receiving the supply line and holding it securely while the fire fighting liquid is discharged into the tank. The hose can be mounted in place quickly and with one hand and the novel clamp described herein holds the hose firmly in place while water is being transferred from a tanker to a stop-and-go or other similar tank.

SOIFT llllOSlE CLAMP BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART AND SUM- MARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a soft hose clamp for holding a hose discharging firefighting liquid from a tanker truck into a stopand-go tank.

One firefighting technique which is increasingly relied upon, particularly in fighting rural fires, involves use ofa stop and-go tank. This tank is simply a portable container which is carried to the site of the fire, set up and then filled with firefighting liquid which then can be withdrawn through conventional hoses for extinguishing the fire. The tank thus serves in place of the water distribution system available in urban areas, and is periodically refilled by means of tank trucks which shuttle between the site of the fire and a convenient source of firefighting liquid, such as water, to keep the tank filled to the level necessary to maintain feed to the hoses spraying the liquid onto the fire.

The speed at which the water in the tanker truck can be transferred to the stop-and-go tank determines the amount of water which can be carried by the truck at any given time, which in turn determines the effectiveness of the firefighting effort. It is thus quite important that the soft hose which is normally used to transfer the firefighting liquid from the tanker truck to the stop-and-go tank be quickly, simply and securely connectable to the tank before liquid is discharged into the tank. The present invention relates to a novel soft hose clamp including a first clamping member for securely and simply attaching the clamp to a vertical strut or brace on the stop-andgo tank and a second hinged, spring-loaded clamping member which can be operated quickly and easily with a single hand to clamp the soft hose into position for discharging the firefighting liquid into the stop-and-go tank.

Many other objects and purposes of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. ll shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention clamped to a vertical strut of a stopand-go tank;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the clamp of FIG. ll;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the novel clamp of FIG. ll;

FIG. 45 shows a cutaway view of a portion of the hinged, spring'loaded, clamping member of FIG. I.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is now made to FIGS. I-3 which show a perspective, front and top view respectively of the novel soft hose clamp of this invention. As discussed briefly above, clamp is particularly designed to be attached to a vertical strut such as strut 22. Such struts form the support on conventional stopand-go tanks and are spaced at regular intervals. Clamp Etll can be attached to any vertical or substantially vertical structure on a stop'andgo tank or similar structure.

The clamping member which attaches clamp 2b to strut 22 includes two arcuate clamping members 24 and 2a, which can be seen best in FIG. 3 where they are illustrated in their open position. Members 24 and 26 can be moved together and apart to attach clamp ZIP to strut 22 and free it from strut 22 respectively. A first plier member 28 is permanently attached to arcuate member 26, for example, by welding, and a second plier member PM) is similarly attached to arcuate member 2d. Pivotally connected to member 3d is a slightly curved handle member 32; which is also attached to member Ed by means of a conventional spring 34 and a rod as which is slidably connected in a groove in member 28 as illustrated. A pivotal member dill connects members 2% and 3% so that, when handle member 32 is manually pulled toward member 28, member 30 and attached arcuate member 2d pivot about member MI and move toward stationary arcuate member 26. Similar manually moving handle member 32 in the other direction moves member 2 1 away from member 2a. When clamp 20 is placed with a strut between members 24 and 26, members 24 and 2b frictionally engage the strut and lock clamp 20 firmly and securely to the strut.

.A saddle member 42, which may be slightly curved if desired, receives the soft hose and points it so that it will discharge into the stop-and-go tank associated with strut 22. Saddle member 42 is connected to stationary arcuate member 26 by means ofa connecting member 46 which may be welded to both saddle I2 and member 2a or fastened to them in any other suitable fashion. Another arcuate member db is likewise connected to the saddle member 42 at one end as shown and is adapted to mate with arcuate member 50, as illustrated in FIG. l, to lock a soft hose firmly in place for discharging firefighting liquid into the tank associated with the strut 22.

Member 56 is further provided with a handle member 52 having a cylindrical portion which can be operated by one hand to release the hose or look it in place. As can be seen in FIG. 4, handle member 52 is constantly urged outward by conventional spring 54 which is in compression. I-Iandlc member 52 terminates in a latching end 56 which engages with a slot in arcuate member 50. The members 4% and 50 can thus be locked together by simply pushing in the handle 52 and rotating it until the latching end 56 engages the slot in member 52 at which time members 48 and 50 will be locked together and firefighting liquid can be discharged into the tank. The members l8 and 50 can be unlocked by simply rotating the handle again until the latching end 56 disengages from member 52 at which time spring 54 forces handle member 52 outwards. Thus by one simple action which can be accomplished quickly and with one hand, the hose can be locked in place or released.

Many changes and modifications in the above embodiment of the invention can be made without departing from the scope of the invention and that scope is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

I. A clamp for holding a soft hose comprising:

a first arcuate member,

a second arcuate member adapted to mate with said first member to provide a passage for said hose,

means for locking said first arcuate member to said second arcuate member so that said first and second arcuate members mate to provide a passage for said hose and hold said hose in place,

a third arcuate member,

a fourth arcuate member adapted to mate with said third arcuate member to lock therebetween a strut means,

means for moving said fourth arcuate member towards and away from said third arcuate member to lock and release said strut means, including a first plier member connected at one end to said fourth arcuate member, a second plier member connected at one end to said third arcuate member, a pivot member connecting together said first and second plier members, a handle member pivotally connected to the other end of said first plier member and spring means connecting said handle member to said second plier member so that manually moving said handle member in a first direction causes said fourth arcuate member to move toward said third arcuate member and moving said handle member in a second direction causes said fourth arcuate member to move away from said third arcuate member, and

a member connecting said first arcuate member to said third arcuate member.

2. A clamp as in claim I wherein said second arcuate member is hinged to said first arcuate member at one end thereof and wherein said locking means includes a handle member having a portion adapted to extend through passages spring means forces said handle means outward to unlock said first and second arcuate members.

3. A clamp as in claim 1 wherein said strut means is a vertical strut and wherein said connecting member includes a saddle member for receiving said hose. 

1. A clamp for holding a soft hose comprising: a first arcuate member, a second arcuate member adapted to mate with said first member to provide a passage for said hose, means for locking said first arcuate member to said second arcuate member so that said first and second arcuate members mate to provide a passage for said hose and hold said hose in place, a third arcuate member, a fourth arcuate member adapted to mate with said third arcuate member to lock therebetween a strut means, means for moving said fourth arcuate member towards and away from said third arcuate member to lock and release said strut means, including a first plier member connected at one end to said fourth arcuate member, a second plier member connected at one end to said third arcuate membEr, a pivot member connecting together said first and second plier members, a handle member pivotally connected to the other end of said first plier member and spring means connecting said handle member to said second plier member so that manually moving said handle member in a first direction causes said fourth arcuate member to move toward said third arcuate member and moving said handle member in a second direction causes said fourth arcuate member to move away from said third arcuate member, and a member connecting said first arcuate member to said third arcuate member.
 2. A clamp as in claim 1 wherein said second arcuate member is hinged to said first arcuate member at one end thereof and wherein said locking means includes a handle member having a portion adapted to extend through passages in the other end of said first and second arcuate member which match when said first and second arcuate members mate, said portion having a latching end which engages means in said second arcuate member when said handle means is rotated manually to a given position, and spring means urging said handle means outward so that when said handle means is rotated to a second position to release said latch means, said spring means forces said handle means outward to unlock said first and second arcuate members.
 3. A clamp as in claim 1 wherein said strut means is a vertical strut and wherein said connecting member includes a saddle member for receiving said hose.
 2. A clamp as in claim 1 wherein said second arcuate member is hinged to said first arcuate member at one end thereof and wherein said locking means includes a handle member having a portion adapted to extend through passages in the other end of said first and second arcuate member which match when said first and second arcuate members mate, said portion having a latching end which engages means in said second arcuate member when said handle means is rotated manually to a given position, and spring means urging said handle means outward so that when said handle means is rotated to a second position to release said latch means, said spring means forces said handle means outward to unlock said first and second arcuate members.
 3. A clamp as in claim 1 wherein said strut means is a vertical strut and wherein said connecting member includes a saddle member for receiving said hose. 